Socially collaborative filtering

• US 9,047,367 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Toebes, John, Scheinman, Ari Daniel, Chan, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, ALAN H
• Application Number:
  US14/026,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20140081997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/217, 725/87, 707/752, 707/758
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises identifying user selection preferences of an identified user having accessed the network, the identifying based on an accumulation of user selection inputs executed by the identified user, relative to input options presented to the user and identifying respective available network items, the accumulation including an identification of the input options not having been selected by the identified user; determining a group of network users having a highest correlation of shared interests with the identified user, based on identifying preferred network items for the identified user, and identifying first network users providing highest relative user affinity values for each of the preferred network items; and determining at least one of new network items most likely to be preferred by the identified user, based on determining, from among network items not presented to the identifier user, the preferred network items for each of the first network users in the group.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by an apparatus, item affinity values for an identified user based on an accumulation of user selection inputs executed by the identified user within an input context of input options presented to the user and identifying respective available network items, the accumulation including an identification of the input options not having been selected by the identified user;

determining by the apparatus an ordered list of network users ordered based on having a highest correlation of shared interests with the identified user in response to detecting the identified user is accessing the network to supply the user selection inputs, the ordered list of network users based on (1) identifying, from the available network items, an ordered list of preferred network items based on ordering the item affinity values according to highest relative item affinity values, and (2) generating the ordered list of network users based on ordering first network users, identified as providing highest relative user affinity values for each of the preferred network items, according to their respective user affinity values relative to the ordered list of preferred network items; and

determining, by the apparatus, at least one of new network items most likely to be preferred by the identified user based on determining, from among network items not presented to the identified user, the preferred network items for each of the first network users in the ordered list of network users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting includes detecting an access request by a user device, the method further comprising presenting by the apparatus at least one of the new network items to the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating by the apparatus, for each network user having accessed the network and including the identified user, the item affinity values for the available network items having been presented to the corresponding network user, each item affinity value identifying a corresponding affinity by the corresponding network user toward the corresponding available network item.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising identifying, by the apparatus, the user affinity values based on identifying, for each network item, the network users owning highest relative item affinity values toward the corresponding network item, each user affinity value identifying the corresponding affinity by the corresponding network user toward the corresponding network item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the group of network users includes filtering at least one of the group of preferred network items, the first network users, or the new network items according to a presentation context provided by the apparatus to the identified user in response to a prior request by the identified user relative to the detection that the identified user is accessing the network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering by the apparatus the new network items based on the user selection preferences; and

presenting by the apparatus at least one of the new network items to a user device used by the identified user to access the network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting by the apparatus that the identified user has selected one of the available network items;

determining by the apparatus a group of network items having a highest relation to the selected one available network item, based on (1) identifying a second group of the network users providing highest relative user affinity values for the selected one available network item, and (2) identifying network items having highest relative item affinity values for each of the second group of the network users;

filtering by the apparatus the new network items with the network items having the highest relation to the selected one available network item, and

presenting to the identified user the filtered new network items.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating, by the apparatus, the item affinity values associated with the network items of input options having been presented to the user in response to each input by the user, including updating the input options having not been selected by the identified user; and

decreasing selected item affinity values in response to the input options having not been selected by the identified user.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the network items do not include any rating values.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface circuit configured for determining an identified user is accessing a network, and in response outputting, via the network for presentation to the identified user, a recommendation of at least one of new network items most likely to be preferred by the identified user; and

a processor circuit configured for generating the recommendation of at least one of new network items in response to the identified user accessing the network, the processor circuit configured for generating the recommendation of at least one of new network items based on;

identifying item affinity values for the identified user based on an accumulation of user selection inputs executed by the identified user within an input context of input options presented to the user and identifying respective available network items, the accumulation including an identification of the input options not having been selected by the identified user;

determining an ordered list of network users ordered based on having a highest correlation of shared interests with the identified user in response to detecting the identified user is accessing the network to supply the user selection inputs, the ordered list of network users based on (1) identifying, from the available network items, an ordered list of preferred network items based on ordering the item affinity values according to highest relative item affinity values, and (2) generating the ordered list of network users based on ordering first network users, identified as providing highest relative user affinity values for each of the preferred network items, according to their respective user affinity values relative to the ordered list of preferred network items;

determining the new network items most likely to be preferred by the identified user based on determining, from among network items not presented to the identified user, the preferred network items for each of the first network users in the ordered list of network users.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor circuit is configured for generating, for each network user having accessed the network and including the identified user, the item affinity values for the available network items having been presented to the corresponding network user, each item affinity value identifying a corresponding affinity by the corresponding network user toward the corresponding available network item.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor circuit is configured for identifying the user affinity values based on identifying, for each network item, the network users owning highest relative item affinity values toward the corresponding network item, each user affinity value identifying the corresponding affinity by the corresponding network user toward the corresponding network item.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor circuit is configured for determining the group of network users based on filtering at least one of the group of preferred network items, the first network users, or the new network items according to a presentation context provided to the identified user in response to a prior request by the identified user relative to the detection that the identified user is accessing the network.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor circuit is configured for filtering the new network items based on the user selection preferences, the network interface circuit configured for outputting the new network items to a user device used by the identified user to access the network

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor circuit is configured for:

detecting that the identified user has selected one of the available network items;

determining a group of network items having a highest relation to the selected one available network item, based on (1) identifying a second group of the network users providing highest relative user affinity values for the selected one available network item, and (2) identifying network items having highest relative item affinity values for each of the second group of the network users;

filtering the new network items with the network items having the highest relation to the selected one available network item, and

outputting for delivery via the network interface circuit to the identified user the filtered new network items.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor circuit is configured for:

updating the user selection preference in response to each input by the user, including updating the input options having not been selected by the identified user; and

decreasing selected item affinity values in response to the input options having not been selected by the identified user.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the network items do not include any rating values.

16. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

identifying, by an apparatus, item affinity values for an identified user based on an accumulation of user selection inputs executed by the identified user within an input context of input options presented to the user and identifying respective available network items, the accumulation including an identification of the input options not having been selected by the identified user;

determining by the apparatus an ordered list of network users ordered based on having a highest correlation of shared interests with the identified user in response to detecting the identified user is accessing the network to supply the user selection inputs, the ordered list of network users based on (1) identifying, from the available network items, an ordered list of preferred network items based on ordering the item affinity values according to highest relative item affinity values, and (2) generating the ordered list of network users based on ordering first network users, identified as providing highest relative user affinity values for each of the preferred network items, according to their respective user affinity values relative to the ordered list of preferred network items; and

determining, by the apparatus, at least one of new network items most likely to be preferred by the identified user based on determining, from among network items not presented to the identified user, the preferred network items for each of the first network users in the ordered list of network users.

17. The logic of claim 16, wherein the network items do not include any rating values.

18. The logic of claim 16, wherein the determining the group of network users includes filtering at least one of the group of preferred network items, the first network users, or the new network items according to a presentation context provided by the apparatus to the identified user in response to a prior request by the identified user relative to the detection that the identified user is accessing the network.